Food tracking app review · Updated May 22, 2026
MyFitnessPal review
The incumbent with the largest food database
Is MyFitnessPal still worth using in 2026, or has it been overtaken?
The verdict
MyFitnessPal still wins on raw database size and barcode coverage, and it is the app most of your friends already use. But crowd-sourced data makes accuracy unreliable unless you vet entries yourself, and the value equation has slipped as more features moved behind a steep paywall.
What we like
- Enormous database and barcode coverage — you will find almost anything
- Familiar, fast logging that most people already know
- Broad integrations with wearables and fitness apps
What holds it back
- Crowd-sourced entries make accuracy a coin flip without manual vetting
- Aggressive paywall and ad load on the free tier hurt value
- Coaching and meal feedback are thin
MyFitnessPal is the app most people mean when they say “calorie counter.” Its database is enormous, its barcode library is unmatched in breadth, and odds are someone you know already uses it. But size is not the same as quality, and the value equation has slipped as more once-free features moved behind a steep paywall. We put it through the same protocol as everything else.
How big is MyFitnessPal’s food database?
Huge — and that is its single biggest strength. It scores 94/100 on the international food database segment for sheer coverage. If a packaged food exists, MyFitnessPal probably has a barcode for it. Whatever you are eating, you will almost certainly find something.
How accurate is MyFitnessPal?
This is the catch. Because most entries are crowd-sourced and many duplicates exist, accuracy is a coin flip unless you vet each entry yourself. The “right” entry and a wrong one sit side by side in the results. It scores 74/100 on accuracy — fine if you are disciplined about picking verified entries, frustrating if you are not. Our analyst Dr. Elena Marsh puts it bluntly: “The data is only as good as the stranger who typed it in.” For accuracy-first users, Cronometer is the safer choice.
Is MyFitnessPal easy to use?
Yes — familiarity is a real advantage. Logging is quick and the flow is one most people already know, earning 86/100 on ease of use. The free tier’s ad load, though, interrupts that flow more than we would like.
What about coaching, feedback and analysis?
Thin. Nutrition coaching (68/100) and meal feedback (64/100) are the weakest among the apps we recommend. MyFitnessPal records diligently but rarely tells you what to do next. Diet analysis is mid-tier at 72/100.
Is MyFitnessPal good value?
This is its real problem. Premium runs about $79.99/year — the most expensive in our cohort — and features that used to be free (including barcode scanning, at points) have drifted behind it, alongside ads on the free tier. It scores just 58/100 on value, the lowest of any app we recommend.
Who should use MyFitnessPal?
Use it if database breadth is your top priority and you are willing to vet entries for accuracy — or if you simply want the same app your friends and trainer use. If you want trustworthy numbers without the work, Cronometer or Welling will serve you better. See Welling vs MyFitnessPal and MyFitnessPal vs Lose It!.
